Hong Shui - Vatican News
17 years ago, Father Jose Rodrigo Lopez Cepeda was ordained a priest just six months ago and was sent to oversee the parish of the shrine of Saint Orosia, on the Yebra de Basa mountain in the Pyrenees in Spain, to replace a priest. served as a pastor there for more than 30 years.
At first, the experience with that community was complicated, as the locals were used to the old vicar. But Father José said, "despite the difficult task, it paid off in the end, and it wouldn't have been possible without the help of a boy named Gabriel".
On the second week after Father José arrived there, a young couple came to see him with Gabriel, their 8-year-old son, who has degenerative bone disease, and psychomotor problems.
The boy's parents asked the new parish priest to accept him as an altar boy. At first, the priest thought he would turn down the offer, not because he was an "unusual" child, but because of all the difficulties he was having in starting his ministry there.
However, he could not refuse their offer, because when he asked the boy if he wanted to serve, Gabriel did not answer but hugged him tightly. The priest thought "this is a good way of persuading me!"
The following Sunday, Father José told Gabriel to come to church 15 minutes before Mass. Gabriel showed up on time wearing the red altar dress and the robe his grandmother had embroidered for him for the occasion.
Father José shared: “The boy's presence attracted more faithful, because members of Gabriel's family wanted to see the boy serve as an altar boy. I had to prepare everything needed for Mass, I didn't have a sacristan or ring the bells, so I ran from side to side, and it was only before Mass began that I realized that Gabriel was not know how to serve. Out of haste, I said, 'Gabriel, you have to do everything I do, okay?'"
Gabriel was a very obedient child, and so when Mass began and the priest kissed the altar, the boy remained near his father. Father José began to notice that while he was preaching, the faithful smiled happily at him, but then he realized that they were not actually looking at him, but at Gabriel, who was trying to imitate every move. only father's.
At the end of Mass, Father José told Gabriel what to do and what not to. One of the things he said to the boy was that only he could kiss the altar, because with that gesture the priest was united with Christ. Gabriel looked at his father with wide, questioning eyes, as if he couldn't fully understand the explanation. And the boy said: "I want to kiss the altar too..." The priest explained again to Gabriel why he couldn't do it, and finally the father said that he would kiss the altar in his place as well. and you, and the boy seems to understand and accept this.
The following Sunday, at the beginning of Mass, Father José kissed the altar and noticed Gabriel resting his cheek on it. The child did not leave the altar, and gave a big smile. At the end of Mass, he reminded Gabriel of what he had said the previous Sunday: "Gabriel, I told you that I would kiss the altar for both of us," to which the boy replied, "I don't kiss you." altar, and you kiss me."
Father José seriously said to the boy: “Gabriel, don't joke with me”, but the boy confirmed: “Indeed, God has filled me with kisses.” The boy's words caused the priest to feel a holy jealousy, and as the church door closed and the faithful left, he approached the altar, pressed his cheek against it, and said, "Lord, please kiss me like God kisses Gabriel."
On his Facebook account, Father José shares the story of his gratitude to the boy, who taught him the importance of letting himself be loved by Jesus first and always united and faithful. with that love even in difficult times.
Father José wrote: "That child reminds me that the work is not mine, and that I can only win the hearts of the lay people by starting from a sweet intimacy with the One Priest. Since then my kiss on the altar has doubled, because after kissing the altar I always press my cheek to the altar to receive the kiss of the Lord.”
“Bringing others closer to the mystery of salvation urges us to live the encounter every day, and as I did with my beloved altar boy and teacher Gabriel, I learned that before kissing the altar of Christ, I must be kissed by him." (Aleteia 04/12/2020)
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